By now you’re probably aware of all the top-tier games coming out in the first three months of 2009, but isn’t there a little part of you that wants to know what the devs are working on next? We sure as hell do, and have already made up our minds about what should be unveiled before the year is out – most of them games we already suspect are on their way but have so far remained hidden.

We’re going to stay away from practically impossible scenarios (Chrono Trigger 3) and franchises that have been effectively dead for years (Golden Sun) despite how much we desperately want to see new editions. If you like what you see, know that two of the seven games we wanted announced at E3 2008 have appeared, so with any luck at least two of these will show up too.

Two years ago we knew Modern Warfare was on the way, but had no idea just how groundbreaking and fresh its take on the series would be. Its present-day thrill ride challenged (and exceeded) everyone’s expectations for the fourth game in a well-worn series. The follow up? World at War, another trip through the era videogames refuse to let die. Modern Warfare 2 deploys later this year, and call us cynical, but something tells us it’ll lack the surprise “oomph” of CoD4. That’s why, next time, we want even more modern-er warfare – yes, a trip to the goddam future.

Above: Same old World War II

Above: GODDAM HELL LASERS!

We don’t mean generic alien shoot ‘em up though. We want a CoD4-quality tale, with all the twists, set pieces and engrossing missions intact, just flung 200 years into the future. Think the battles are insane now? Imagine if you could actually see the various projectiles being fired at you from every conceivable angle, with multi-colored laser blasts casting their own light as they trace through the sky, ripping holes in space station titanium. Crazy!

Above: Like these, only without George Lucas’ touch of death

Granted, “space marine” is no less tired than World War II, but we feel blending Infinity Ward’s keen eye for explosive spectacle with creative new weapons untethered by reality would result in yet another million-selling, genre-splicing shooter – plus keep the now-recharged series from slipping into another go-to rut. Any word on the next CoD won’t come until Modern Warfare 2 is out the door though, so this could be a December tip at best.

Asking for a decent Sonic game in this day and age is akin to not just beating a dead horse, but digging up that horse’s grandparents and reanimating them for the sole purpose of beating them all over again. It’s been years since a respectable entry to the series (that’d be 2005’s Sonic Rush) and after the atrociously awful Werehog debacle, we’re not too sure there’s anything better coming down the line.

Above: F*CKING STOP!

However, our affection for Sega’s ailing mascot remains inexplicably intact. No matter how bad things get, we’ll always raise an eyebrow at the next game, only to be crushed in the end. So, seeing as the most beloved, well received Sonic games in history are the three 16-bit originals (meh to Knuckles), why not announce a Mega Man 9-style sequel that cranks up the Blast Processing to absurd degrees.

Above: How many times do we have to ask?

Capcom pulled it off perfectly. Who’s to say Sega can’t do the same and revitalize one of gaming’s longest running franchises by taking it back to its nearly forgotten roots? Give us a reason to care, Sega – announce a 2D Sonic before we truly lose all hope. We promise we’ll stop hating on him.